Field lessons, though conducted mainly as contributing to the student’s fund of knowledge, are also a source of pleasure, and may be made the foundation of a more healthful love for and delightful companionship with nature. They are not alone a mine of knowledge but also a perfect well-spring of inspiration.
In every stream, plain and valley, new beauties of form and color are continually presenting themselves. Varying tints of landscape vistas, drifting cloud masses, softly rounding hills, majestic mountain forms, the play of sunlight and shadow; all make subtle appeal. Entering into harmony with creation we are led into harmony with its source.
Everything combined, all the wealth of color, warmth of sunlight, song of birds, hum of insects and breath of growing things, conspire to the unfoldment of the being on all the planes of life’s expression, for, the first and controlling impulse is toward expression; expression on the physical, mental and emotional planes—in fulfillment of the law of growth, for expression is a necessity to growth.
Expression. Geography has been said to be an analytical study of the earth’s surface, or the study of the separate landscape elements, such as form, color and organic structure.
Geography is emphatically a study of form, the forms of the earth’s surface features, each to be studied in relation to other and contrasting forms, as well as in relation to their environment.
Upon the pupils’ return from the field, the forms and areas observed may be modeled in sand, sketched on paper, or chalk modeled on the blackboard. Maps may be drawn of the areas studied and sketches may be made in color of stretches of different soils and verdure, together with the atmospheric effects observed. Tints of sea, sky and cloud, color and shades of rock and foliage are all speaking in tones which the child may interpret and render intelligible to others, through the medium of brush and paints.
It is of great importance to his future growth that the student acquire the habit of freely expressing himself through the art modes of modeling, painting and drawing, since much of his mental power depends upon such expression; for by holding in mind, while in the act of expression, the images acquired through observation, more of the details of the object or scene as well as the generalities are recalled.
River Basin.
Expression thus reacts upon self, causing the mental picture to be intensified and expression to become more definite and complete. No other means are so adequate to this end: i.e., the forming of distinct images in the mind, unless it may be the giving of oral and written descriptions. These, of course, should be demanded of the pupil as well. By this demand the pupil sees the necessity of closer observation and investigation that he may give a fuller and more truthful expression, and with careful leading he becomes a critic of his own thought and skill, which is a step pre-eminently educative.